Adelaide United, Football

Adelaide United Football Club is a professional soccer club based in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The club participates in the A-League under licence from Football Federation Australia.[2] The club was founded in 2003 to fill the place vacated by Adelaide City and West Adelaide in the former National Soccer League (NSL), and is now the sole team from the state of South Australia in the A-League. Adelaide United's home ground is Hindmarsh Stadium. Adelaide United were premiers in the inaugural 2005–06 A-League season, finishing 7 points clear of the rest of the competition, before finishing third in the finals. They were Premiers again in 2015/16 finishing just one point ahead of second place Western Sydney. The Reds made the Grand Finals of the 2006–07, 2008–09 and 2015–16 seasons, losing the on the first two occasions to Melbourne Victory. In August 2003, Adelaide City withdrew from the National Soccer League (NSL), leaving Adelaide with no NSL presence for the first time since the beginning of the league in 1977. West Adelaide had previously withdrawn from the NSL in 1999. In response, Adelaide United was created on 12 September 2003, with builder and property developer Gordon Pickard funding the new club and former Soccer Australia and FIFA executive Basil Scarsella as Chairman.[3]